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    Home » Recipes » Sauces + Dips

    Orange Citrus Salad Dressing

    Published: Jun 10, 2024 by Nicole Addison · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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    This Orange Salad Dressing is bursting with citrus flavour. It's an easy way to revitalize any salad, and is oil-free and vegan.

    Pouring orange salad dressing on orange quinoa salad.

    There's nothing better than a delicious orange salad dressing to liven up any greens. I love this salad dressing because it's bursting with citrus flavour from the juice and zest. I made this citrus salad dressing for my orange quinoa salad, but it pairs so well with any salad- pasta salads, quinoa salads or even a classic green salad.

    If you're looking for an easy oil-free salad, you need to try this orange salad dressing!

    Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved

    1. Oil-free. I'm not against oil by any means, but I know some prefer a lighter salad dressing if their salad already has lots of healthy fats. So this orange salad dressing is a great choice.
    2. Budget friendly. Save money from store-bought dressings by using pantry staples you may already have at home.
    3. Versatile. Add this salad dressing to pasta salads, quinoa salads, or even leafy greens.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients including orange juice, orange zest, red wine vinegar, seasoning and dijon mustard.

    Orange juice. For a burst of orange flavour! You can either juice your own oranges (you will need about 2 oranges to equal ½ cup) or use 100% orange juice to make things easier.

    Orange zest. You will need the zest of one orange to make this dressing as flavourful as possible. The zest really helps push the flavour forward in this orange salad dressing.

    Honey. For natural sweetness! 

    Dijon mustard. This adds a tangy, zesty flavour. I recommend using stone ground dijon mustard for the best flavour. If you use honey mustard, I would omit the added honey in this recipe.

    Red wine vinegar. Red wine vinegar adds a vibrant tangy flavour that pairs perfectly with the orange juice in this recipe.

    Instructions

    In a small bowl or mason jar, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar

    In a small bowl or mason jar, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar. Whisk until fully combined.

    Pouring orange salad dressing on orange quinoa salad.

    Drizzle over your favourite salads. I love using it on my orange quinoa salad! 

    Substitutions and Variations

    To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.

    To make dairy-free: this recipe is naturally dairy-free.

    To make vegan: swap the honey for equal parts maple syrup.

    To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.

    Equipment

    • Jar

    Storage

    This recipe is great to make ahead of time to have ready for a busy week. It will store great in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container or mason jar. The dressing may separate after a few hours, however just shake it up before serving.

    Top Tips for Success

    Customize this dressing to meet your personal taste preferences:

    For a spicier taste, add more dijon mustard.

    For a sweeter dressing, add more honey.

    For a more tangy/acidic dressing, add more red wine vinegar.

    For a thicker dressing, replace 2 tablespoon of orange juice with 2 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What should I add this dressing to?

    You can serve it with my orange quinoa salad! It would also taste amazing on a more basic salad such as my crunchy kale salad or even a simple green salad.

    Is it better to use whole oranges or orange juice>

    The choice is yours! I personally usually use 100% orange juice to make this recipe even easier however, if you prefer juicing your own fresh oranges you absolutely can.

    Birds eye of a jar with orange salad dressing.

    More Salad Dressing Recipes

    Switch up your salads with these other yummy dressings:

    • Creamy Dill Pickle Salad Dressing
    • Creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
    • Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
    • Creamy Salsa Dressing

    See you in the kitchen!

    PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these chocolate baked oat cups, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!

    📖 Recipe

    In a small bowl or mason jar, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar
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    5 from 2 votes

    Orange Citrus Salad Dressing

    This Orange Salad Dressing is bursting with citrus flavour. It's an easy way to revitalize any salad, and is oil-free and vegan.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time5 minutes mins
    Course: Sauces and Dips
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: dressings
    Servings: 6

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup 100% orange juice
    • 2.5 tablespoon orange zest from 1 orange
    • 2 tablespoon Honey
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl or mason jar, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar. Whisk until fully combined.
    • Drizzle over your favourite salads (try my orange quinoa salad)!

    Notes

    *I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Did you know....rating and sharing recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favourite food bloggers? If you make this recipe, I would love if you clicked the stars below to leave a rating and/or sharing a photo on social media by tagging @nourishedbynic or using the hashtag #nourishedbynic!

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    Comments

    1. Horacio castro says

      February 08, 2026 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      Good recipe

      Reply
    2. Lesli says

      November 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm

      This would be amaaaaazing with some ginger, too. Gonna try this one very soon.

      Reply
      • Nicole Addison says

        November 11, 2024 at 6:32 pm

        Hi Lesli- that sounds amazing!! Please update me on how it turns out!

        Reply
    3. Bree Martinson says

      July 31, 2024 at 7:52 pm

      This was a decent recipe, but it was far too sweet and missing something. I suggest simply adding a shallot; this was the essential missing flavor and balanced out the sweetness. With the shallot It ended being perfect and absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    4. Nicole Addison says

      June 11, 2024 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      I hope you love this one as much as I do!

      Reply

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    Nicole Addison, RD

    Hi I'm Nicole!

    I’m a Registered Dietitian, recipe developer and content creator on a mission to help individuals rediscover the joys of cooking with easy, accessible, healthy recipes.

    On my page you'll find yummy recipes, wellness tips, and even some of my favourite travel and lifestyle recommendations!

    More about me →

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